2026 All-Star Hurling Team

(Previous winning years in brackets)

Goalkeeper

• Nickie Quaid (Limerick – Effin) – 4th award (2020, 2022, 2024)

Defenders

• Niall O’Leary (Cork – Castlelyons) – 1st award
• Darren Morrissey (Galway – Sarsfields) – 1st award
• Barry Nash (Limerick – South Liberties) – 3rd award (2021, 2022)
• Diarmaid Byrnes (Limerick – Patrickswell) – 5th award (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023)
• William O’Donoghue (Limerick – Na Piarsaigh) – 3rd award (2021, 2023)
• Kyle Hayes (Limerick – Kildimo Pallaskenry) – 6th award (2020, 2021, 2022, 2023, 2024)

Midfielders

• Adam English (Limerick – Doon) – 1st award
• Tom Monaghan (Galway – Craughwell) – 1st award

Forwards

• Gearóid Hegarty (Limerick – St Patrick’s) – 5th award (2020, 2021, 2022, 2024)
• Aidan O’Connor (Limerick – Ballybrown) – 1st award
• Cathal O’Neill (Limerick – Crecora Manister) – 1st award
• Jason Rabbitte (Galway – Athenry) – 1st award
• Peter Duggan (Clare – Clooney Quin) – 2nd award (2018)
• Brian Hayes (Cork – St Finbarr’s) – 2nd award (2025)

*****

ALL-IRELAND CHAMPIONS Limerick saw their dominance rewarded with nine All-Stars on the PwC GAA/GPA 2026 hurling selection.

Behind the record 12 All-Stars they compiled in 2021, the Treaty matched their second-best haul with a pick which included three first-time winners from the county.

Limerick's William O'Donoghue and Aidan O'Connor. Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO Tom O’Hanlon / INPHO / INPHO

All-Ireland runners-up Galway have three recipients, while beaten semi-finalists Cork have two and Clare one.

Among the seven first-time winners, Jason Rabbitte becomes the youngest All-Star hurler since a 19-year-old Mark Coleman was honoured in 2017.

Rabbitte emulates his father, Joe, who featured in the 1993 and 2000 selections, making them the sixth father-son duo to win hurling All-Stars and the first from Galway.

Kyle Hayes has now equalled Joe McKenna’s record as the Limerick man with the most All-Star awards on six, one ahead of Diarmaid Byrnes and Gearóid Hegarty, who are also selected.

Limerick hurler Barry Nash and Hope Mulcahy. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO

The Shannonsiders’ middle-third superiority was such that they collected seven of the eight awards in that department, including the entire half-back and half-forward lines.

Their new wave of talent are recognised with first-time awards for Adam English, Aidan O’Connor, and Cathal O’Neill. The other new winners are the Galway trio of Darren Morrissey, Tom Monaghan, and Rabbitte, and Cork corner-back Niall O’Leary.

Cork hurler Niall O'Leary with Jen O'Rourke. Dan Clohessy / INPHO Dan Clohessy / INPHO / INPHO

Back-to-back Hurler of the Year nominee Brian Hayes is the only member of the 2025 team honoured again this year.